Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Does the trial of Lynndie England offer fresh evidence against women in the military? Read the excellent New York Times article combing the court transcript for melodramatic storylines. Even more remarkable is the extent to which romantic and sexual entanglement seem to have played a major part in the overall permissiveness at Abu Ghraib.

5 comments:

It offers pretty clear evidence that the sexes should be separated in the military and that discipline, morale, safety and old-fashioned common sense are lost when sexual attraction is present among the ranks.

There's also the possibility that this would not have been permitted in a unit with good leaders. (Hanky-panky being strictly forbidden, carefully policed, etc.) I'm not sure how practical that is, though.

I think it was Peggy Noonan that said that it would be nearly impossible for a man and a woman who were partners and police officers NOT to fall in love. You'd think that urge to link up would be even stronger in the military.